Preparing for Winter in Maine: Tips for all Senior Citizens

With winter just around the corner, it’s time to prepare for the cold to come! For seniors, winter can be an especially challenging time of the year. Thankfully, there’s still time to prepare and plan ahead while the weather is more manageable. After you utilize these tips, we’ll have you as cozy and snuggly as a Frank Sinatra Christmas album! ​​

Snowed in and stocked up
Why not stock up on some basic essentials? Just in case there’s one too many snowy days, it never hurts to have some preparations ready. Non-perishable foods like peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit, and canned goods are important to have. Also, you’ll want to have things like bottled water and flashlights stored at home. Don’t forget flashlight batteries, or that flashlight will be about as much use to you as a glass hammer! Check on your firewood stash, and if needed, order more now to beat the rush. Pull out the battery-powered radio in case of emergencies and make sure you’ve got all your warm layers dug out of the closet.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! (If you’re prepared for it, that is!)
Have you thought about who will attend to the outside of your home if a lot of snow falls? Plan now if you’d like to have someone else take care of it. Go ahead and get in touch with the relative, friend, or whoever will be helping you to make sure everything is on track. Do not attempt to shovel snow etc unless you are in great health and well-prepared. Even if you plan to only go outside a little bit, be sure you have shoes with good traction and no-skid soles. A small fall on the icy pavement could cause major injuries and a long recovery for seniors.
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Safety first!As the saying goes, prevention is the best cure! Avoid problems later by preparing your home and car now. If you’re planning to use a gas fireplace, heater, or lanterns, it’s important to have a working carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is odorless and a leak can be deadly, so it’s important to have a detector. Now is also the right time to check on your car before winter hits. Spare no expense when it comes to your safety- go ahead and have your car fully serviced to ensure the oil, tires, battery, and wipers are in tip-top shape. Do you have an ice scraper stored in the car for your windshield? You won’t be going anywhere if you can’t see! If you have an AAA membership, make sure you have your membership up-to-date and a card in your wallet or vehicle. If you plan to drive but don’t have a mobile phone, you can purchase an inexpensive prepaid phone to keep in the car. Seniors do experience slower reflexes, so if you’re at all unsure about driving safely this winter, don’t be shy to say no and instead ask others for help.

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